Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS), otherwise known as ISO 14721, as well as ISO 16363 and ISO 16919 have been updated and published by CCSDS and ISO. The standards can be downloaded from the CCSDS site free of charge using the following links:

• OAIS (ISO 14721) https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/650x0m3.pdf
• Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories (ISO 16363) https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/652x0m2.pdf
• Requirements for Bodies Providing Audit and Certification of Candidate Trustworthy Digital Repositories (ISO 16919) https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/652x1m3.pdf
• A new standard Information Preparation to Enable Long Term Use (ISO 23507) https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/653x0m1.pdf

The digital world is getting more complex and interrelated, and we are all dependent on it.

Those responsible for preserving our digital capital into the future, right now have mostly simple PDFs, audio, video and images. But soon the complex and interrelated objects  will be coming their way. Even for something seemingly as simple as a spreadsheet one must know not just the format but also what the columns mean and what their units are. Centigrade or Fahrenheit, meters, millimeters or inches – makes a big difference.

The OAIS Reference Model (ISO 14721) is one of the most important standards for digital preservation, but the average that people scored in a quiz on OAIS which I set up was 66%, which I found surprising.

Take the quiz yourself to test your knowledge of OAIS and the fundamentals of digital preservation, to see if you are ready for the future.

You can improve your knowledge by taking our OAIS course.

If you want to prove your archive is trustworthy then take the course on ISO 16363, then apply for certification. Which would you trust to look after your valuable digital assets, an  archive ISO certified by independent auditors, or one which the staff say is OK?

Both courses are live on-line with one of the authors of these standards, like myself, and can be arranged to suit your timetable.

We have been trialing this way of providing the courses, at a reduced price. The cost will increase after 1^st Jan 2020 but we will honour the reduced price for any course ordered before that date.

Don’t risk losing your valuable digital data, take action now.

The video of the presentation PTAB Insights into the ISO16363 Audit of GPO is available at https://www.fdlp.gov/ptab-insights-into-the-iso16363-audit-of-gpo as part of the Federal Deposit Library Program.

Because of demand from countries around the world for an online course PTAB would like to announce, in the first instance, online courses for a 4-day High Level Course on ISO 16363 (the outline is here, which also covers OAIS) and a 2-day course solely on OAIS for beginners. Additional courses are also planned for Data Management Planning and Digital Signature preservation (particularly for legal and government legislative documents).

The dates can be flexible to suit the attendees as can the way in which the course is delivered, for example full days or half days, run on consecutive days or spread over over one or more weeks.

There are considerable advantages in doing the online course, particularly for institutions and smaller companies with limited funds for training:

• Significant cost saving, particularly for public institutions and smaller companies with limited funding
• The normal High Level Course on ISO16363 is typically £1500 – £1800 per person depending on the requirements of the client
• There are no travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses
• ZERO carbon footprint  –  ZERO jetlag
• We can provide one to one or up to 20 people (scale of tuition fees listed below)
• You do not have to be away from your office
• The tutors are also the authors of the ISO standards we will be covering
• You can choose the dates that are convenient for you, subject to availability at PTAB
• The course can be split into two sessions if time constraints are a problem
• The PTAB lecturer will fit in with your time zone
• All training materials provided electronically

The special introductory schedule of fees for the Online Training Courses:

• 4-Day High Level Course on ISO16363 for the more experienced digital repository managers

• One to One                   £1000 per person
• 2-5 Students                 £ 700 per person
• 6-10 Students               £ 600 per person
• 11-20 Students             £ 575 per person

• 2-day Course on OAIS for beginners

• One to One                   £ 500 per person
• 2-5 Students                 £ 350 per person
• 5-10 Students               £ 300 per person
• 10-20 Students             £ 290 per person

The National Cultural AudioVisual Archives (NCAA), hosted by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Audio/Visual Repository, is the first repository in the world to be awarded ISO 16363 certification – for details see here.